Triathlon Bart Aernouts is in his first triathlon after the Ironman Hawaii on a ninth place finishes. Our fellow countryman, finished in the Ironman of South Africa after 7u56:21. For Aernouts it was his first race of the season.
A new bike, a new team and a new season. There were a lot of things for Bart Aernouts to look forward to in Port Elizabeth. Our fellow countryman has started in South Africa on his first Ironman of the year. Officially the Ironman in South Africa also the African championship triathlon. With 3.8 kilometres of swimming, 180 km cycling and 42 km run would be the traditional distances to be covered, but the turbulent sea was the swim will be shortened.
Join for the victory was still not in for Aernouts. The 34-year-old triathlete from Lubbeek came at a distance from the water. The holeshot was for Josh Amberger. Aernouts followed at that time in three and a half minute. In the cycling portion took Ben Hoffman on. He would take the leadership, not surrender and continue to lead. The American – in 2014 2nd at the world CHAMPIONSHIPS in Hawaii – he finished his triathlon in 7u34:20 and was nearly six minutes faster than the German Frommhold.
Bart Aernouts slipped after the zwemnummer not as fast as hoped. After the bikes came our countryman as a twelfth. After the marathon he explained finally, taking the ninth place. That just under 22 minutes of the winner. By the Ironman in South Africa to finish the place Aernouts, however, automatically again for the Ironman in Hawaii. The title in the women’s British Lucy Charles.
(Read the response from Bart Aernouts under the photo)
View this post on Instagram
Aernouts: “Had to all be fine here in the vicinity of a stage to come”
“Swim in difficult conditions was never my thing”, analyzed Aernouts in a first reaction after the match. “It was a survival in the water and as a result it was difficult to orient. My cycling portion was definitely not bad, but I lost in the beginning a lot of time on the front runners. After 50 kilometres increased my pace, but I paid in the end still a price for. My running trail was definitely okay. It is not that I hard worked had this winter. Moreover, had the marathon of my life little removed in this contest. The first men were really, really strong”, referring Aernouts to Hofmann, Frommhold and Weiss.
“The qualification for Hawaii is within and that’s the main thing,” said Aernouts. “I was here all fine the have to be near a stage. Therefore, We know that there is still some work to be done, but there is certainly still time. In addition, we also analyze how it is that I in the first cycling portion as much lost time on the leaders.” Aernouts targets in October on the Ironman of Hawaii. A 9th place in South Africa is certainly not a disaster for our fellow countryman.